What is the Minister of State for Civil Aviation trying to infer when he says that all jobs at Mopa will be given to Goans? Will Goans be recruited as Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs)? How many Goans have this expertise? Ground Engineers are aviation maintenance graduates who are responsible for the maintenance of aircraft, meant to ensure that all is well for the aircraft to take off, but these engineers are recruited by each individual airline. Will Goans be selected for this job? How many Goans have Ground Engineering degrees? Also pilots are selected by the particular airlines, so how will Goans get this category of jobs for which recruitment is done by the particular airline? Also, air hostesses, which is a much sought after job is also the premise of each airline for recruitment? How many Goans are going to become air hostesses, since this job too is the prerogative of each particular airline?
Besides the cream of the jobs not being meant for Goans, the setting up of Mopa is still mired in controversy as several fundamental issues like payment of adequate compensation to local residents is concerned, permission for cutting more than 21,000 trees, which has been stayed by the Bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa, following a case filed by the Green Warriors, resistance from the local mainly farming community who are opposing the airport as well as the project being the focus of litigation.
The Goans for Dabolim Only (GFDO) are in the process of filing a case in the Supreme Court terming the project as a scam with proofs gathered under the RTI Act, and the Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti, an organisation of locals also have filed cases in the Supreme Court as well as the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Also it cannot be disputed that the Mopa plateau is rich in natural bio-diversity and home to exotic flora and fauna which will once and forever be destroyed, thus eliminating the existence of a uniquely scenic spot from Goa.
It would be in the interest of Goa to shift this project to a neighbouring state as this will benefit them more than Goans. A collective and concerted effort has to be made by all to resist this draconian project from being thrust upon Goans whose main aim is to protect Goa’s land from being usurped for the benefit of others. Crowd funding can be resorted to, to fight jointly this project which is not in the interests of the majority of Goans. Goans have to decide by rising up to the occasion and determining their own destiny.
